The Northeast Conference has plenty of talented prospects coming aboard next season, but the best of the bunch looks to be Dwaun Anderson. The former Michigan State signee transferred to Wagner before playing a game after his mother passed away last spring. He was the Mr. Basketball in Michigan, and is extremely athletic. Several high-majors pursued Anderson, but he chose the Seahawks and he should make a major impact."

Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Mount has an offer out to Jarod Williams from the Blue Ridge School in Virginia. He has offers from several other mid-major schools, including two Western Kentucky and Ohio that earned NCAA tournament wins this year. But from this interview it sounds like he has a genuine interest in the Mount and the new staff.

Christian was a three-year captain for the Mount and, like Bashir Mason, is a head coach before the age of 30. His last job was at William & Mary, where he recruited CAA All-Rookie performer Marcus Thornton to the Tribe."

I don't think this guy really knows what he's talking about. There are a lot of differences in opinion here. Maybe we'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he doesn't know Jamion. And then again maybe we won't. Pretty weak stuff, if I must say so.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Malique Trent was the top performer on Friday night, carrying Wave Basketball Club (VA) to a big 73-51 win over Diamond State Titans (DE).
Trent–a 6’2” combo guard in the class of 2013–simply took over for Wave. At one point, he had knocked down six consecutive three-pointers, scoring 20 points in the first half. After the break, Trent kept rolling, knocking down shots and throwing down an impressive left-handed dunk in traffic.
With offers from Appalachian State and Mount St. Mary’s already, the Norcom (Portstmouth, VA) guard should continue to make a name for himself and attract more college attention with such performances.

"But perhaps the best part of the night was how evenly dispersed the talent was. The event’s final two games showed this perfectly. In one, forward Kelly Beidler tipped in a teammate’s miss at the buzzer to win, while on a neighboring court, two teams went at it deep into a second overtime."

A look at each coaching hire -- college basketball - ESPN: "Mount St. Mary's: Jamion Christian -- Did Mount St. Mary's make the most underrated hire of the offseason? I'm not sure, but I do know that getting Jamion Christian, a former Mount alum coming off an assistantship at VCU in 2012, is an ideal fit for the job."

We haven't underrated here at The Fan Blog - We've told you it was the perfect fit since the season ended.

6 foot 7 inch Christian Crockett, who will join Mt. St. Mary's in the fall, wrapped up his high school career shining in the Houston Area Basketball Coaches All Star games. A total of 21 Division I signed players took part in the event, including ten in the game in which Crockett participated.

Crockett scored 21 points for the West team which fell to the South 134-130. Josh Gray and Michael Carey, both who are headed to Texas Tech in the fall led the South to the victory. John Gillon, Arkansas Little-Rock, was also a huge part of the win scoring 19 points in the second half, knocking down 5 three-pointers.

Seven players were in double figures for the West, including Crockett. Richard Benedyth (Northwest Florida Community College) led the team with 29 points, while Stephen F Austin signee Trey Pinknee was also in double figures.

This is more good news for Mount basketball. The Houston Area is always talent rich - and seems to have gone above that this year - to know that Crockett excelled in a showcase of the Area's talent is encouraging. Also encouraging to know that Crockett performed in a game that was as up and down as the 134-130 score must indicate.

Just a little side note, I don't think I'd want to be at practice the next day, if a Coach Christian team surrendered 130+.

Either way, this continues to be an exciting time in what normally is a pretty down time regarding news and notes for Mount basketball. Can't wait for them to jump it up for real in the fall.

Friday, May 04, 2012

Kelvin Parker earned what he got earlier this week. The freshman walk-on from York PA, deserved the scholarship he was awarded and it didn't take long for the new coaching staff to realize it.

2011-12 was a year where there weren't many bright spots. But Parker, whom you didn't expect much from early because of his status, quickly became one. You could also see development and improvement throughout his freshman season. He averaged 12 points and nearly 6 rebounds a game over the last ten games as he played his best basketball.

That left a lasting impression on those who saw him play this year and it also made an immediate impression on the new coaching staff. With JaColby Wells graduating the staff could have used the scholarship on more new blood. But they made the right decision and chose someone who has worked hard and has the dedication to want the program to move forward. Parker showed that this year.

The comment from Jamion Christian about Parker in the Mount press release of the move solidified my belief that Christian is the right guy for this job.

"Anytime you get a chance to reward someone who has done everything the right way and put in the long hours towards excellence, it is a gratifying feeling for everyone involved," said Christian. "Kelvin's tremendous dedication to Mount St. Mary's and his ability to help us move into the top part of the league became evident last season. We are very excited to have him as a part of our family and are looking forward to many great things for him both in the classroom and on the basketball floor. We strive to be a program that constantly rewards those who do the right thing and who exemplify everything it embodies to be a proud member of our family."

Every Mount fan that I've talked to agrees that Parker deserves it and is genuinely happy for him.

Looking forward to three more solid seasons from Kelvin and that NEC Championship he talked about in the York Newspaper article linked below.

I'm excited for Kelvin. I'm excited for the program. Feels good to be a Mount fan once again.

Jon Rothstein: This And That Around College Basketball; Kansas, Fordham And More... « CBS New York: " Wagner coach Bashir Mason raved about the progress made by big man Naofall Folahan in spring workouts. The 6-foot-11 Folahan is a rarity at the NEC level because of his size, timing, and ability to protect the rim in a league that usually doesn’t sport a starting player in the pivot over 6-foot-7. If Folahan blossoms, Mason’s first season on the sidelines in Staten Island should be a memorable one."

JaColby Wells will graduate from Mt. St. Mary's University in the spring and will not return for a fifth season, which he is eligible for after redshirting his freshman year.

Wells played just 18 games during another injury marred season in 2011-12. He averaged a career best 2.8 points per game.

As a result, Kelvin Parker the walk-on freshman guard from York High, has been placed on scholarship. Parker had a successful freshman year with the Mount averaging 9 points, nearly 5 rebounds and a team best 1.3 steals a game. He would seem to be set to improve in Jamion Christian's promised uptempo style.

The Mount will also have incoming transfers Sam Prescott, Rashad Whack and potentially either Christian Crockett or Greg Graves angling for minutes at the 2 & 3 positions.

About thefanblog

The Mount FanBlog is hosted by Ryan Raffensperger a CPA in Gettysburg, PA - Raffensperger, Martin & Finkenbiner, LLC . The firm was started by his father, a Mount grad, and has served customers in SouthCentral PA and Northern Maryland for 40+ years.

The younger Raffensperger has loved the Mount as long as he can remember, which basically means 1981 - and remembers the true #GloryDays of Memorial Gym. He remembers the players from those days to the athletes who play at Knott Arena today. And if it's a #MountMayhem day, it's going to be a good day.

He holds a Syracuse University degree in broadcast journalism. He has broadcast high school, college & minor league of all sports in his past, and regularly covered high school football for his home town paper. So the blog does make a little sense.

The blog was at one point much more active, but the advent of Twitter (follow @themountfanblog) has made writing a little less important. But he hopes that the balance swings back in favor of more traditional content soon.